Composing stick



May 11 ,1926; 1,584,570.. w. R. CRANDALL l l GOMIOSING STICK OriginalFil/ed March 3Q. 1923 3mm/toc WR. Crandall Patented May 11, 1926.

UNITED sr WELLER R. CRANDALL, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, ASSIGNOI, TOGEORGE R.' ADAMS,

OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. i

COMPOSING STICK.

Application filed March 30, 1923, Serial No. 628,933. Renewed January18, 1926.

My invention relates to composing stic rs for use by job printers, andhas for its objectthe provision of a stick which may be easily andquickly adj usted to permit setting up of lines of any desired length,and also to provide a stick in which the setting up of standard jobs maybe facilitated by overcoming theloss of time now occurring in adjustingthe stick to the job to be set up. The invention also seeks to providemeans whereby the adjustable head may be securely held in a set positionand also to provide means whereby the lines may be lengt-hened slightlyso that they will not be apt to fall while being locked upon the press.These several stated objects, and other objects which will incidentallyappear, are attained in such a device as is illustrated in theaecompanying drawing, and the invention resides in certain novelfeatures which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

1n the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view ot a composing f stick embodying myimprovements;

Fig. 2 is a sectionoi the adjustable head taken in a plane `extendingcentrally through the head and parallel with the base of the stick, andFig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The composing stick proper consists of a flat sheet metal base or bottom1, a rail or side bar 2 extending along one side edge of the bottom, anda ixed head 3 at one end of the same. The side bar and the ixed head areof somewhat heavier material than the bottom and are riveted orotherwise rigidly secured thereto at a right angle to the same and toeach other. The side bar or rail 2 has openings t :formed therethrough,and these openings are spaced apart one-half an em, while at theopposite side edge of the base or bottom 1 on the upper face of the sameare marked graduations which are likewise one-half an em apart, and atintervals along the scale thus produced the indicating marks areextended inwardly over the face of the bottom 1, as shown at 6, so

as to dene the length of lines used on standard jobs.

The adjustable head 7 consists of a block of'suitable durable materialand comprises a transverse branch 8 having an underlying hook 9 adaptedto engage around the free edge of the base 1 and thereby guide theadjustable head in its movements and also hold it to the base of thestick, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 3. The headalso comprises a longitudinally extending branch 10 having a groove 11in its under side adjacent its edge adapted to tit snugly but slidablyover the rail or side bar 2 so as to co-operate with the underlying hook9 in holding the head in proper position upon the stick. Thelongitudinally extending branch of the head is constructed with achamber 12 in which is mounted a lever 13 equipped withteeth or pins 111at its inner end projecting laterally outwardly so as to engage some ofthe openings 4f. A spring 15 is housed within the head and bears uponthe end of the said lever so as to tend constantly to hold the teeth orpins 14.- toward the side bar 2 and in engagement with the properopenings t therein. At the outer end of the lever 13 is pivotallyattached the shank 16 whereby pressure may be exerted upon the lever inopposition to the spring 15 to withdraw the locking pins or teeth 14from the side bar 2 to permit the head to be adjusted. A thumb piece 17is provided at the outer end of the shank 16 and is slidably ittedthereto so that it may be set to bear against the branch 10 of the headand thereby lock the latch in engagement with the rail, or may be set inalinement with the shank for releasing the latch. The transverse branchot' the head is provided with sockets 18 receiving studs or pins 19 onthe innerv side of a rest or shim plate 2O which is adapted to bearagainst the upper tace ot the bottom 1 ot the stick and be held againstthe ends of the matter set up upon the stick. Extending centrally fromthe said rest through the head is a screw or threaded stem 21, and uponthe outer end of the said screw is a nut 211 bearing against the outerside of the head whereby the rest may be locked in a set position. Asshown in the drawing, a space 25 will be produced between the rest 20and the head, and in this -space leads or shims having a thickness equalto one-half an em or a point may be inserted so asto hold the rest rmlyagainst the ends of the matter set up. lf the shims be removed, the rest2O may be withdrawn from the composed matter without disturbing it sothat it may be handled easily and successfully by the lockup man. It isto be understood that, if preferred, the shim plate may be fitted uponthe iixed head 3.

In job printing otlices, a large percentage oi the work is standard incharacter, that is to say, the lines ot type are o'tl tixed length andordinarily considerable time is lost in adjusting the composing,` stickso that the lines will be ot' the proper length. 1t will be noted thatin my device the lines ot graduations, indicated by the referencenumeral (i, are extended inwardly beyond the scale 5 and have certainlegends displayed in connection therewith so that the adjustable head 7may bequickly brought to the pror` er point of the stick to conform tothe mattei' to be set up. 1When the job is divided among severalcompositors, the composing sticks may all be Set quickly to exactly thesame n'ieasurements so that the parts ot the. job may be easily broughtto- Lether without re-adjustinent after they have been set up. To adjustthe heads 7 to the desired point et the stick, it is only necessary toexert slight pressure upon the thumb piece 17, thereby withdrawing' thelocking teeth or pins 14 from the side bar 2 and then push the head tothe proper point on the scale 5, whereupon the thumb piece 17 may bereleased and the spring 15 will at once cause the locking` pins or teeth14 to engage the adjacent openings #t and hold the head in the setposition. A slot 22 is provided between the head 7 and the base 1 ot thestick so that in setting,` up book headings the copy may be slippedthrough the slot and the type set on top ot the copy.

My improved composing stick is exceedingly simple and inexpensive andwill be found highly eflicient as a time-saving,r tool in job-printingoiiices.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. rlhe combination with a composing?r stick, ot a head fitted theretoand having,lr an opening' extending therethrough longitudinally ot' thestick, a'rest disposed at the inner side ot the head, a threaded stemextending from the rest through the opening in the head. and a nutmounted on the said stem and bearing against the outer side oi the head.

Q. The combination with a composing stick having a series ot openingsextending through its side rail, ot a head slidably titted upon thestick, a lever mounted within the had, lockingY teeth carried by thelever and adapted to engage any ot' the openings in the side rail ot'the stick, means bearing' upon one end ot the lever to hold the lockingteeth in engagement with the said openings, and means at the oppositeend ot the lever operable to release the locking' teeth troni theopenings, said means including a thumb piece shiftable to engage againstthe side ot the head and thereby prevent release of the locking teeth.

3. The combination with a composing,r

stick. ot a head constructed at its ends to slidably engage the edge ofthe bottom of the stick and the side rail of the stick respectively, andmeans housed within the head to engage the side rail of the stick andlock the head thereto in a set position, a slot being;` provided betweenthe head and the bottom of the stick to permit copy to be inserted underthe head.

In ltestimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

WELLER R. @RANDALL [Ls]

